A Street Girl's Story
by Beckaa24601
Summary: How Eponine turned from a loved child to a lonely, sad street girl and how her life, the little she has, is torn away from her when she is attacked in the streets where she lives. (Casting: Eponine - Samantha Barks, Marius - Gareth Gates, Cosette - Katie Hall, Madame Thenardier - Helena Bonham Carte,r Thenardier - Sacha Baron Cohen, Gavroche - Daniel Huttlestone.)
1. Chapter 1

Eponine came running out to see what all the commotion was about.

"Mama, papa? What's happening? Where's that man taking Cosette?" She asked.

"Get inside!" Her father demanded gruffly.

Eponine did not understand. She was only eight years old. Things happened so quickly, one moment Cosette was there doing her chores like she did every day on end and the next, her father was acting like Cosette's sudden leaving was all her fault. She had seen her parents angry often enough but never at her, usually at some guest who refused to pay the outrageous bills they were charged. The Thenardiers were never angry at Eponine, they thought the world of her...didn't they?

"EPONINE!" Thenardier yelled again, Eponine had been miles away, deep in thought about what had happened, "get yourself inside NOW!"

With that, the young girl hurried off into the inn, for the first time in her life, she was frightened of her parents, her own mother and father. Eponine was all for running to her own room but before she could, somebody grabbed her arm to stop her.  
"Right my girl, either you work for this family or you fend for yourself on the streets. You won't last five minutes out there." He sneered at her.

Fright flickered in her eyes, what choice did she have?  
"I'll work papa, I'll do anything you want me to do."

"Anything?"

Eponine nodded, scared.

"Good girl." He smiled, not his usual, loving smile, but a manipulating, evil smile.  
Eponine went to make an escape to her room but her mother stopped her.

"Mama..." She started.

"No you don't...you will live in the cellar now, do all the cleaning, if you want to eat then you will do exactly as you are told."

"I can't, that's what Cosette does."

"She's gone and you will never see her again, none of us will, now, we have to have someone to do all the work round here don't we?"

"You could..." Before Eponine could finish her sentence, she received a sharp slap across her face. Her cheek burned and tears stung her eyes. With that, she escaped down to the cellar.


	2. Chapter 2

**I took the decision that as I had a few followers, I would write more chapters for this story so I have a few ideas up my sleeve and am already several chapters ahead! I won't post them altogether though because that would be no fun ;) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, some of the ines aren't exact but the story still ties in with the musical / film.**

**Please leave reviews! Thank you!**

* * *

**Nine years later**

Since that one dreadful day, Eponine's life had taken a dramatic turn. When she was ten, she made the ultimate decision to escape the clutches of her parents as much as she possibly could and attempt to fend for herself on the dark and dangerous Parisian streets. However, try as she might to keep away from her parents altogether, she still ended up playing some sort of slave in her father's robberies, usually lookout.

Eponine was so lonely. Just seventeen years old, only a child. Nobody should have to go through what Eponine did, child or not. Nowhere to live, nobody to love her. The only friend she had was Marius Pontmercy, a student. They met when Thenardier tried to rob his home one night, he knocked a vase when entering through the window. The gang escaped but Eponine hid but was caught by Marius. The next day, the two met again when Eponine found him to apologise for the previous night.

"You alright?" A boy bounded over and sat down on the cobbled street ground next to Eponine.

"Monsier...I don't believe we've met." Eponine replied with a warming smile.

"How do ya do my name's Gavroche." Said the boy in a sing-song voice, offering Eponine his hand.

"And I'm Eponine." She answered, shaking his hand.

"Good to meet ya Eponine."

"You to Monsier Gavroche."

"So how old are ya then?"

"Seventeen...you can't be much older than twelve?"

"Spot on Miss! Seventeen? Ya look fifteen or less! Skin and bone is what ya are ya know."

"I know. I live here on the streets, go home for the crumbs each evening, that's all I get for the work I do." Eponine explained.

"What work's that then Miss?"

"For my father, I have to be lookout on his robberies, if I didn't I dread to think what would happen. There's a whole gang of them you see, they would soon come after me." She sighed, ashamed.

"Can't ya run away? Somewhere they will never find ya? Come with me?"

"I know you mean well Monsier Gavroche but honestly, you don't know these people, rough as you get round here."

"Alright Miss, but if ya ever change ya mind, I'm never far away."

"Merci Monsier."

"I hope we can be friends, we can meet up often, well, I'd better go and make sure Inspector Javert isn't trying to take over my patch, he knows nothing, lived on these very streets since I were but that high I have," He explained, using his hand to demonstrate, "what does he know that I don't eh?"

Eponine could not help but smile.  
"You tell him Monsier Gavroche!"

"Ay I will Miss!" And with that and a cheeky wink, Gavroche disappeared off round the corner.

Eponine was deep in thought about life for the next hour but was abruptly disrupted.  
"Eponine! Eponine! Oi! Eponine!" Her father. What did he possibly want her to do this time?

"Yes papa?" She revealed herself from around the corner, trying to disguise the fact that she was scared of him.

"Ah there you are...come along now, we're going to earn some money, we need you as lookout." He told her. Another of his horrible plans. This time, Thenardier was going to make people feel sorry for them. Madame Thenardier was going to pose as a poor mother living on the streets with a baby.

Eponine sighed. She wished her parents could just be honest people, earning money from the inn business without trying to get money out of people at every possible opportunity they had. She never dared tell them that though, she dreaded to think how they might react.

"Just stay here girl, stay and keep watch for the police." Thenardier ordered.

"Yes papa." Eponine did as she was told. She waited outside watching the people go past, her beady eyes were watching out for Javert though.

"Miss Eponine!" Gavroche called from the other side of the street.

Eponine waved and desperately tried to make him stop shouting to her from across the street but suddenly...  
"It's the police disappear, run for it, it's Javert!" And with that the whole gang ran as fast as they could.


	3. Chapter 3

Madam Thenardier dragged Eponine into the inn and threw her in front of Thenardier's feet.  
"Look who I dragged in off the streets." She said.

"Well well well, if it isn't our darling Eponine." He spat her name like it caused a bad taste in his mouth.

"Y-y-yes papa?" She stammered innocently.

"Who was that little urchin? The one who was screaming at you across the street?" He asked her, in a manipulating tone.

"He's just a friend of mine."

"You have friends?!" He spat again.

"Yes. I do." She tried to be bold.

"Well be warned girl, if you jeopardise another money-making scheme of mine because of your friends, you will live the rest of your life in misery. You're a nasty piece of work, you don't deserve half of what you have...now be off with you!"

Later on, Marius spotted Eponine in the street and walked over to her.  
"Hey Eponine!" He said cheerfully. No reply. "Eponine?" He asked again.

Eponine blinked and shook her head.  
"Oh sorry!"

"It's fine, are you alright?"

"Yes I was just thinking about something my father said."

"What has he said this time?"

"Just that I don't deserve half of what I have...I don't think he realises that I barely have anything anyway though so..."

"Ignore him 'Ponine. You are a hundred times better than he will ever be. Now don't you forget that alright?"

"You really mean that?" Eponine asked looking into Marius' eyes, a hint of hope in her tone.

"Yes. I do." As he stood up, he walked into someone, horrified, he looked to to see a beautiful girl, around Eponine's age but far, far grander, with blonde hair and eyes as blue as pools, "Mademoiselle!" He cried in horror, "please do forgive me."

Eponine saw the looks in their eyes, she knew what was going on, this broke her heart.

"It's no problem Monsier." The girl said politely and with that, continued across the street.

"Eponine!" He grasped her arm, "who was that girl?"

"I...I don't know." She sighed.

"Find out for me please?" He begged, "find out where she lives."

"Yes Monsier, anything for you Monsier Marius."


	4. Chapter 4

That evening, Eponine made her way to the ABC Cafe. She waited on the stairs and after a few minutes, caught Marius' eye, he went to speak to her but she ran off, he followed. They ran down a couple if streets until they came to a house. A very beautiful house with a garden full of the finest flowers.  
"Eponine thank you!" Marius gasped.

"You're welcome." She replied downheartedly and walked off around the corner where she stopped and heard every word that was exchanged between Marius and Cosette. Every word was like a dagger plunging straight through her heart.

"Who is this piece of dirt?" A voice said.

"It's your brat Eponine don't you know your own kid?" Another voice said. Thenardier and his gang.

"Eponine get on home you're not needed in this." Thenardier warned.

"I know this house I tell you, there's nothing here for you, just the old man and the girl, they live ordinary lives." Eponine tried to steer them away.

"Keep out of this Eponine I'm warning you!"

She thought quickly, she had to."I'm going to scream, I'm going to warn them here!"

"One little scream and you'll regret it for a year!"

Eponine screamed as loud and as long as she could manage.

"Make for the gutter, make for the sewers!" Thenardier ordered before grabbing Eponine, slapping her hard across the face and running himself, dragging his daughter along with him.

"Oi oi! Look who ruined another of my plans!" Thenardier called to his wife when they got home.

"Let go of me!" Eponine growled, trying to pull away.

Thenardier pulled her wrist hard.  
"Stay quiet my girl, you've already done enough damage for one day."

Madam Thenardier came running.  
"You. Again." She said, sounding disappointed but not the least bit surprised.  
"Another _friend_ was it?"

"Yes." Eponine answered, trying to mask the fear, "it was _actually_."

"How dare you speak to your mother like that child! You're going to pay!"

"What more can I lose?" Eponine said hopelessly, tears falling from her eyes.

The Thenardiers gave her a disgusted look and dragged her back home again. Back on the streets exactly as before.  
"Don't you ever come running to us again, we never want to see you, ever."


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter has been sitting on my laptop for a while now simply because I have been very reluctant to put it up because of the storyline so here goes…a warning for you all, this could get quite upsetting now, our poor darling Eponine, but Marius will actually leave Cosette alone for a little while to help Eponine. Enjoy!**

Eponine picked herself up off of the cobblestones, tears still falling from her dark eyes.  
"A world that's full of happiness that I have never known..." She sung to herself softly as she began to trek down the seemingly never ending streets.  
She pulled her ragged coat around her and huddled down as far inside it as she could and adjusted her hat so that it protected her face from the pouring rain that had begun and was falling harder and harder every second. The next thing Eponine knew, she was being pushed into the street behind the alleyway, the street where nobody else ever went.

"Is it money you want? I have none! Just leave me alone!" She yelled in desperation, struggling hard.

"It's not money, it's you, you need teaching a lesson, you dirty low lives who tear their families apart!" He growled.

Eponine knew she couldn't do anything, she stopped struggling and shut her eyes.  
What felt like ages later, she was curled up in the back street shaking uncontrollably and crying hard. Things just kept getting worse and now her whole life, the little she had left anyway, had been ripped out and turned to shreds in a matter of minutes.

Hours went by so painfully slowly, Eponine didn't know what to do, it hurt her all over, she had nowhere to go, no-one to go to who cared, not that she thought she would ever, ever be able to muster up the courage to tell anyone anyway but that was beside the point, the one thing Eponine needed now was someone to care about her.

"Eponine!" Someone was calling her name. She stiffened and huddled up as small as she could in the back-alleyway. The person was coming towards her, she could see now, it was Gavroche.  
"Miss Eponine, are you alright?" He asked.

Eponine shuffled away from him, though he meant no harm and she knew that deep down.  
"I'm fine." She said shakily with uncertainty.

"Miss Eponine...you've changed."

"What do you mean?" She snapped.

"It's just...you seem really jumpy...hey, what's this?" Gavroche pointed to a cut and bruise on Eponine's cheek, "doesn't it hurt?" He asked in concern.

Eponine shook her head.  
"It's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing, has someone hurt you?"

"Nothing's happened Gavroche, I'm alright, just leave me alone okay?"

"You're my friend Miss Eponine, I just want to help you please, you can trust me."

"Please don't do this to me Gavroche..." She said in barely a whisper with tears rolling down her cheeks, though she tried to hide them.

"I'm trying to help you, please tell me."

"I can't..." She choked on her tears.

"Please." Gavroche begged, in barely a whisper.

"I...earlier a man came...he said...I'm a dirty low life and he..." She buried her head in her arms.

"Eponine...Miss Eponine what did he do to you?" He asked softly.

"I can't...he..."

"Raped you. Miss Eponine, he raped you didn't he?" Gavroche said tearfully.

"Yes." She said in devastation and through sobs.

"What happened?"

"I...I can't talk about it...please don't make me."

"I won't, don't worry...it will be okay though." He told her, hugging her tightly, though he wasn't sure himself with the way things were with her family.

" Please don't touch me!" She pushed him off, scared.

Gavroche understood.  
"Okay, I'm sorry I didn't think."

"Oh Gavroche, what am I going to do now?" Eponine asked, her voice wobbling with not a trace of hope.

"Well, you could go back home..." The boy suggested.

"I can't...papa said he never wants to see me again...and mama doesn't care...neither of them do and I can't live out on the streets...not now...once maybe but not now."

"Well we could tell Marius, I mean, he might have an idea and you and him are friends right?"

"No!" Eponine bolted upright with fright in her eyes, "Nobody else can know...and anyway, he has Cosette now, he doesn't care about me."

"I'm sure he does...but why don't you want anyone else to know?"

"Because they'll think I asked for it! They'll just think I agreed then regretted it...but I didn't Gavroche, I promise."

"I know Miss Eponine, don't worry, I believe you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a short chapter this time but there is more to come tomorrow hopefully! I hope this storyline is alright because I have been a bit worried about putting it up. Enjoy!**

"Marius!" Gavroche shouted across the street hours later. He had spent a lot of time comforting his friend and had finally decided to tell Marius, unbeknownst to Eponine, who had begged him not to tell anyone.

"Gavroche?" He spun around, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." He panted.

"You don't seem so..."

"No, honestly, I'm fine...it's Miss Eponine..."

'What's happened to her?"

"She's been raped. I'm trying to help her but she's so closed up, you have to come and see her Marius, she's in such a state."

Upon hearing this, Marius' face changed to an expression of dread.  
"Why? Who did it? What happened?"

"I don't know who," Gavroche said in regret, "and she won't talk about it either."

"Take me to her Gavroche."

"I will but...she might be angry, she told me not to tell anyone, especially you because she thought you would be too busy with Cosette."

Marius' face was overcome by a look of shock.  
"Yes...Cosette...I've been so wrapped up with her I have been blocking out Eponine completely! How could I be such a fool?" He asked himself.

"She needs you now Marius, come, I'll take you to her now." And with that he did, leading him through the narrow streets, running most of the way.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the delay, I had a two-day hospital appointment this week or else I would have posted this sooner. Thank you to both of my lovely reviewers, reviews encourage me to write so if you want more then you know what to do! ;) New ideas are also always welcome.  
I hope you enjoy the chapter!  
**

At last they reached where Eponine was but she had gone.

"MISS EPONINE!" Gavroche called as loudly as he could. "She was here!" He told Marius earnestly.

"Well where is she now?" He asked, beginning to worry.

"I don't know...but we need to find her quickly."

The two searched for ages but with no avail until suddenly they heard a scream from further on in the alley where Eponine was before.

"Eponine!" Gavroche and Marius said in unison. They sprinted to where the scream had come from to don't a poor, shaking Eponine lying in the alley.

"What happened?" Gavroche asked in concern.

"He...he found out I told you..." She began, trying to keep it together, "and he came back." She finished in a whisper.

"Did he hurt you again Eponine?" Marius asked gently, bending down to her.

"No...but he tried to." She said, tears steadily rolling down her cheeks.

"Who is doing this to you Miss Eponine?" Gavroche asked softly, tears in his own hazel eyes.

"I don't know." She replied, shaking her head of straggly brown hair.

Marius put his hand on hers.

"No!" She cried, snatching away her hand, "don't touch me please."

"I'm sorry Eponine, I'm so, so sorry."

"It's not your fault." She whispered in despair, a single tear rolling down her cheek again.

"If it's not mine then who's is it? If I hadn't have been so wrapped up with Cosette maybe I would have noticed how everyone's been treating you and been able to help! Then this might never have happened!" Marius was so angry with himself, how could he have been so stupid?

"It was my fault!" Eponine burst out, "it was me that screamed when papa tried to rob Cosette's home, me that ruined papa's money-grabbing scheme earlier and it was me who couldn't defend myself!" Eponine cried even harder now, she blamed herself, she had been driven to that.

"Hey, hey no it's not your fault," Marius tried to convince her, "don't you ever think that, ever." He said firmly.

"How can I not? It was my fault, I don't deserve your friendship, either of you, I got myself into this mess."

It was clear to Marius that Eponine's father had filled her head with lots of rubbish and criticism about herself, leading her to believe that everything bad that happened in her life was her own fault and that she was a worthless nothing. This of course was not true though.  
"Why don't you try and get some sleep?" He suggested. "It might make you feel better."

Eponine shook her head sadly.  
"How can I when I am so scared? I close my eyes for a second and it happens all over again, I feel him, it brings back that memory worse than ever." She said, fists clenched.

"I know."

"No you don't...how could you?"

"You know what I mean..."

"I do, I'm sorry Marius...my head's all over the place at the moment, I don't mean to snap."

"It's alright, I understand Eponine, really I do. Now please try and get some sleep. Please? For me?" He was only trying to do what was best for Eponine.

Eponine took a shaky breath.  
"Okay...but..."

"No buts 'Ponine." She flinched slightly at this, "I'll be here, I'll stay until you wake, me and Gavroche both, we promise." Gavroche nodded in agreement.

Eponine reluctantly lay down and snuggled down into the rags as best she could, however, her eyes remained open for what must have been an hour. She was too scared. To scared to even sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**I love getting reviews, thank you to TeamPiper for being so dedicated, much appreciated so here is another update especially for you, thank you! **

"Marius do you think Miss Eponine's parents oughta know?" Gavroche asked when Eponine was finally sleeping.

"They won't do anything, they don't care." Marius answered angrily.

"But she needs all the help she can get...please, let me go and speak to them."

Marius shrugged his shoulders doubtedly.  
"Whatever you do don't bring them here, she's upset enough as it is. Tell them if you must though but you don't know how they treat her, they hate her." He said in a lowered voice.

"I will then! They need to know." He said with determination and ran off down the street.

When he reached the Thenardier Inn, he knocked boldly on the door and Thenardier opened it.  
"What do you want boy?"

"Monsier...it's about your daugher Eponine, she was attacked earlier."

Thenardier grunted. He didn't care.

"Attacked? What do you mean attacked?" Madam Thenardier appeared from another room. She seemed more concerned than her terrible husband.

"Some fella...well..."

Madam Thenardier bent down to Gavroche.  
"What?" She asked gently and in concern.

"He forced himself on her madam, I'm sorry I had to tell you this."

"No! How could he?"

"Look love, don't pretend you care alright?" Thenardier chipped in, "she's always been useless, good for nothing, she ruins everything, she deserved it."

Madam Thenardier turned around with anger flashing in her eyes.  
"You may not have any love in your heart for our daughter but maybe, just maybe I do and I am not ashamed. Some swine has forced himself on her and you don't care? Well then you're sick, just as sick as he is. She may seem tough but she is just a little girl." She then turned to Gavroche, "how is she?"

Gavroche shook his head.  
"I have never seen anyone so scared. She's such a mess. She flinches at the slightest touch and her tears have hardly stopped. She's sleeping now madam, trying to get some rest for a bit and not think about it."

Eponine woke up not long later. She managed to quietly cry herself to sleep without Gavroche or Marius noticing but her sleep only lasted ten minutes or so before the bad dreams kicked in and she awoke still terrified.

"Eponine it's okay, it's just a dream, don't worry, I won't let anyone hurt you again." Marius tried to reassure her when she woke screaming.

"I'm sorry I..."

"It's fine, I'm here."

"Where's Gavroche?" Eponine asked, wiping a stray tear from her face and sitting upright.

"Don't you worry about him 'Ponine, just think about yourself, please."


End file.
